1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to PTPs and, more particularly, to PTPs for visually handicapped persons.
2. Description of the Related Art
PTPs (press through packages) (sometimes referred to as “blister” packs) are generally known as containers which contain pharmaceutical solids such as tablets and capsules. A prior PTP 310 shown in FIG. 4 includes a flexible (cover) sheet 320 provided with pocket portions 322 each of which contains a tablet T, and a metal (backing) foil 370 which is stuck to the flexible sheet 320 to hermetically seal the tablet T contained in the pocket portion 322. The PTP 310 can be divided into sections 330 each including one or a plurality of pocket portions 322 as required.
It is prescribed that required items such as product name, usage, dose and identification marks based on law for promotion of effective utilization of resources be indicated on the PTP, and these indications are in many cases implemented by printing on the metal foil. However, the printing space of the metal foil is limited to a narrow space compared to the required items to be indicated. In the case where pharmaceutical solids whose stability tends to be impaired by light is contained, since the flexible sheet is colored to have light blocking characteristics, it is likely that an identification number, a color and the like imprinted or printed on each of the pharmaceutical solids and printing made on the metal sheet are difficult to view from the flexible sheet. Accordingly, prior PTPs have the problem that visually handicapped persons cannot identify the kinds of pharmaceutical solids contained in the PTP. In addition, there is the problem that persons, even if they are not visually handicapped, have difficulty in identifying the kinds of pharmaceutical solids contained in the PTP having light blocking characteristics.
To cope with these problems, an invention has been made in which an unevenness identifiable by tactile sensation is provided on a surface of a PTP so that the classification of effects, the usage and the dose of a medicament contained in the PTP are indicated by the unevenness (see Japanese Laid-open Publication No. JP 6-190020 A) (“Patent Document 1”). According to the invention of this patent document 1, even a visually handicapped person can identify the kind, the usage and the dose of a medicament contained in the PTP by recognizing the unevenness on the surface of the PTP by tactile sensation with his/her hands, fingers or the like.
However, the invention of this patent document 1 does not offer any problems as long as the figure formed by the unevenness does not have directionality, e.g., an “∘ (circle)”, but in the case where the figure formed by the unevenness has directionality, e.g., Braille or “Δ (triangle)”, “+ (cross)” or “- (straight line)”, it is likely that when the PTP is divided into sections, the top, bottom, right and left of the figure formed by the unevenness cannot be identified in the planar direction. For example, if a symbol indicating an inotropic agent, which is shown in patent document 1, page 4, Table 1 (2), is rotated 90°, the symbol becomes the same as a symbol indicating an antiphlogistic and analgesic agent, which is shown in (3). In this case, it is likely that a visually handicapped person will mistakenly identify the kind of medicament contained in the PTP and will take a wrong medicament.